Synopsis

International

Bidding for Pennsylvania, Trump trolls Biden in old backyard

Old Forge (US): Determined to keep Pennsylvania in his column, President Donald Trump took the fight to Joe Biden''s old backyard Thursday and insisted his Democratic rival would be the state''s worst nightmare if elected president.

Virus spike in S Korea capital may be spreading

South Korea has reported 324 new cases of the coronavirus, its highest single day total since early March as the recent surge of COVID-19 in the greater capital area now appears to be spreading nationwide.

Hurricane lashes Mexico's Baja, new storms form in Atlantic

Hurricane Genevieve weakened to a tropical storm Thursday after lashing Mexico''s Los Cabos tourist resorts with hurricane-force gusts and heavy rains. And two new tropical depressions formed in the Atlantic Basin both on potential tracks toward the United States.

Joe Biden's elusive quest for 'Biden from Mumbai' continues

When Joe Biden was elected as one of the youngest US senators in 1972, one of the first letters that he received was from Mumbai, with the sender having the same last name as his.

White House to take rare turn as host of memorial service

Sometimes politics gives way to the personal at the White House. It has seen 18 weddings and at least 10 people are known to have died there, including two presidents and three first ladies.

Business

Sensex rallies over 300 pts in early trade; Nifty tops 11,400

Mumbai: Domestic equity benchmark Sensex surged over 300 points in early trade led by gains in index-heavyweights HDFC Bank, Reliance Industries and Infosys amid strong cues from global markets.

Income Tax refunds worth Rs 88,652 cr issued to 24.64 lakh taxpayers so far this fiscal

The Income Tax department on Friday said it has issued refunds worth Rs 88,652 crore to over 24 lakh taxpayers so far this fiscal.

Rupee surges 11 paise to 74.91 against US dollar in early trade

The rupee surged 11 paise to 74.91 against the US dollar in opening trade on Friday tracking positive domestic equities and weak American currency.

Entertainment

Ben Affleck to return as Batman in Flash movie

Los Angeles: Hollywood star Ben Affleck will make a comeback as caped crusader Batman in actor Ezra Miller-led The Flash movie.

Netflix's 'Unsolved Mysteries' will return on October 19

Netflix has announced that its "Unsolved Mysteries" reboot will return with rest of the six episodes on October 19.

'Drunk History' cancelled by Comedy Central

Comedy Central is no longer moving ahead with the seventh season of the show "Drunk History".

Book on Parveen Babi to chronicle person behind 'myth and gossip'

A book on yesteryear star Parveen Babi, which aims to shed light on her professional highs and lows, battle with mental health and unknown facets of her personal life, has hit the shelves.

Sports

Perry finds place in Aussie squad for NZ series but participation subject to fitness

Star all-rounder Ellyse Perry, recovering from a hamstring injury, was on Friday named in an 18-player Australian women squad for the T20I and ODI series against New Zealand in September but her participation will be subject to fitness.

Weak starts for Sharma and Kapur in Wales

Indian golfers Shubhankar Sharma and Shiv Kapur endured disappointing starts, carding three-over 74 and eight-over 79 respectively, at the ISPS Handa Wales Open here.

Washington coach Ron Rivera has a form of skin cancer

Washington Football coach Ron Rivera has been diagnosed with a form of skin cancer, according to a team spokesman.

GK snap shot on 21 August 2020

1. Sadbhavan Diwas 2020 – August 20

2. World Mosquito Day 2020: August 20

3. Cabinet Approvals on August 19, 2020

4. India Ranked 57th in Digital Quality of Life 2020, Denmark tops: DQL Index 2020 by SurfShark

5. India and Israel Signed Cultural Agreement to Strengthen Bilateral Relations through People to People Exchange

6. The ILO’s “Youth and COVID-19: Impacts on Jobs, Education, Rights and Mental Well-being”: 50% of World’s Youth Are Under Anxiety or Depression

7. NPCI Launched its Subsidiary Firm, ‘NPCI International Payments Limited’; Appointed Ritesh Shukla as its CEO

8. Keith Rowley Becomes Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago for a 2nd Consecutive Term

9. Francisco Asue is Reappointed as the Prime Minister of Equatorial Guinea

10. First Rockets Produced by Private Sector Successfully Test Fired: Economic Explosives Ltd (EEL)

11. Dwarf Planet Ceres is now an ‘Ocean World’

12. Iran Unveiled Locally Made Surface-to-Surface Ballistic Missile, Martyr Qassem Soleimani & Cruise Missile, Martyr Abu Mahdi

13. NASA observes the Slowly Splitting South Atlantic Anomaly, a dent in Earth’s Magnetic Field

14. Book titled “India Tomorrow: Conversations with the Next Generation of Political Leaders” released on August, 2020
15. INOX Group to sponsor Team India for Tokyo Olympics: IOA